Senior Software Engineer

Leonardo; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge: up to 12 flexi-days

Employer pension up to 15%

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Access to 4,000+ online courses

Flexible benefits budget up to £500

Job summary

Leonardo UK is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead the delivery of secure, high-quality software solutions. The role blends hands-on coding with leadership, guiding teams to design, integrate, and test components for customer-focused outcomes.

The position offers a hybrid setup with on-site collaboration at a UK site such as Bristol and remote work as appropriate. You will take ownership of software work packages, mentor junior developers, and contribute to governance, risk assessments,

Qualifications

• Proficiency in programming languages (Python, Java, C++, C#).
• Experience designing, implementing, and testing software components.
• Knowledge of secure coding practices and cyber security considerations.
• Familiarity with version control and configuration management (Git, GitLab, Azure DevOps).

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of software work packages, including planning, delivery, and reporting.
• Design, implement, and test software modules and components.
• Review code, designs, and test evidence to ensure compliance with standards and governance.
• Troubleshoot complex issues and provide technical guidance to engineers.
• Mentor and support junior developers, sharing knowledge and best practice.
• Contribute to design reviews, risk assessments, and stakeholder reporting.
• Integrate software into wider systems, collaborating with systems, test, and DevOps teams.
• Suggest and drive improvements in development processes, tools, and practices.

Skills

Python

Java

C++

C#

Tools

Git

GitLab

Azure DevOps

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

Job description

Your impact

Are you ready to take the next step in your software career and lead the delivery of secure, high-quality solutions? At Leonardo, our Senior Software Engineers combine hands‑on coding with leadership, ensuring that software components are well designed, integrated, and tested to meet customer needs.

Job Description

Are you ready to take the next step in your software career and lead the delivery of secure, high-quality solutions? At Leonardo, our Senior Software Engineers combine hands‑on coding with leadership, ensuring that software components are well designed, integrated, and tested to meet customer needs. Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team‑centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers.

What You Will Do As a Senior Software Engineer

• Take ownership of software work packages, including planning, delivery, and reporting.


• Design, implement, and test software modules and components.


• Review code, designs, and test evidence to ensure compliance with standards and governance.


• Troubleshoot complex issues and provide technical guidance to engineers.


• Mentor and support junior developers, sharing knowledge and best practice.


• Contribute to design reviews, risk assessments, and stakeholder reporting.


• Integrate software into wider systems, collaborating with systems, test, and DevOps teams.


• Suggest and drive improvements in development processes, tools, and practices.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong technical ability with proven experience delivering software components and modules.


• Ability to balance hands‑on coding with leadership and mentoring responsibilities.


• Confidence to represent software engineering within project teams and customer discussions.

Core Areas (must Have)

• Proficiency in one or more programming languages (e.g. Python, Java, C++, C#)


• Experience designing, implementing, and testing software components


• Knowledge of secure coding practices and cyber security considerations


• Familiarity with version control and configuration management (Git, GitLab, Azure DevOps)


• Experience integrating software within larger systems and platforms


• Understanding of Agile/SAFe delivery methods

Desirable

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and build tools (GitLab CI, Jenkins, Azure DevOps)


• Familiarity with containerisation and cloud platforms (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure)


• Exposure to automated testing frameworks (Selenium, JUnit, PyTest, NUnit)


• ISTQB Foundation/Advanced or equivalent testing knowledge


• Experience mentoring early‑career engineers


• Awareness of model‑based engineering or architecture tools (UML, SysML)

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Location

This role can be based at one of our UK sites, Bristol, with hybrid/custom working options where appropriate.

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.


• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.


• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).


• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.


• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.


• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.


• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.


• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Hybrid